The Legend of Evitru
by MeganiteDuelist92
Summary: Takes place three weeks after JLU: Destroyer. The Justice League teams up with an underground group of heroes when threats new and old return to threaten not just Earth, but lives throughout the universe. Meanwhile, the new team's leader seems to have a secret past that may hinder the mission. Mysterious pasts and secrets will be revealed soon. Nothing will be the same again.
1. The Mechanic and the Knight

Chapter One: The Mechanic and the Knight-

Planet Earth- South Africa- Somewhere in the Desert-

It had been three days since Lex Luthor and Darkseid vanished from the streets of Metropolis, right before Batman and Superman's eyes. Luthor had given Darkseid the Anti-Life Equation, but upon making contact with it, the two disappeared in a blinding flash of light. Not of trace of them left on Earth. Without the threats of Darkseid or his forces bothering Earth, and without Luthor or Grodd leading the Legion of Doom, things were fairly quiet. Then suddenly, a thunderous sound scared off the animals roaming around the desert, and those who weren't bothered by it were scared off by the blinding light that appeared just as quickly. Nearby the phenomenon was a cave with a dark curtain acting as a door, and an elderly man rushed out of it, apparently startled. He was a tall, black man with medium brown skin and fluffy, short dark hair that was graying, and he wore no shirt, but had tribal markings on his chest and back, and a pair of dark gray sweatpants, and light gray slippers. His gray eyes stared at the light, as if on edge for what might come, and he grabbed his spear in case he needed to defend himself. However, once he saw a man emerge from the light, he lowered it, slightly, and waited to see what the mysterious man might do next. The light faded, and the new man instantly crumpled to the ground in a dead faint.

"What on Earth...?" the elder whispered, rushing forward.

He knelt beside the other man, and checked for a pulse. It was there, but it was faint.

"Guess I better help you out, huh?" the elderly man sighed.

Sometime around 6:30 PM that day- Metropolis, NY, USA- Duke and Barclay's Auto Shop-

"So, tell me more about this shop, Mr...?" Clark Kent spoke.

"'Steven', Mr. Kent." a gruff voice replied, good-naturedly. "'Steven Duke', but call me 'Steve' for short."

Clark was interviewing the owner of an auto repair business that just opened in Metropolis two days ago called "Duke and Barclay's", before he had to go with Lois Lane, his partner, to check out LexCorp's latest event. Steve Duke sat in a wheelchair, his hands calmly rested on the arms of it, as he glanced up at the reporter with kind, twinkling brown eyes. He was a large, muscular man with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, and had a graying, scraggly mustache and beard, and wore a red mechanic's shirt over a clean white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans and brown boots. On his uniform shirt, the name "Duke" was sewn in to the tag over his breast pocket in cursive letters. Clark was wearing his blue work suit with his black hair neatly combed back over his head, and his glasses perched over his face.

"My buds from college and I got the idea to start this business up, we just thought 'hey, we're all good at this, so let's make an honest living off of it', know what I'm saying?" Steve asked, smiling. "Honest pay for honest work."

"Right, Steve." nodded Clark. "And your employees?"

"Ah, Mav and Jace, I think they're out there talking to your little buddy."

Clark looked to the side to see Daily Planet intern Jimmy Olsen, the young photographer, talking with a pair of men around Clark's age. One man had messy dark brown hair, a cleanly shaven face, and had bluish-gray eyes that made Clark think of storm clouds, while the other man had short blond hair and a mustache and beard also, but looked more clean cut than Steve did. Both men wore similar outfits as their co-worker, with the exception of their names on their tags. On the brown-haired man's nametag was the word "Maverick", while the other man's read "Barclay". Jimmy stood before them, dressed in his brown jacket, green t-shirt, light blue jeans, and brown shoes, with his light red hair combed back, talking to them about the coolest places in Metropolis, where the best restaurants are, and such.

"They're good guys, I've known them since I was in high school." explained Steve.

"So, where are you from?" asked Clark.

"Massachusetts, Mythril to be more specific. My mom and dad moved me and my brother and sister up there when I was a Freshman, Mav was the accidental resident bad boy because he had gotten out of juvenile hall two years prior to my moving in, and J.C. was already living there in a foster home. What happened to them, you'll have to find out yourself."

Clark scribbled down some notes into his notepad, and then retracted his pen again before pocketing it.

"I'd like to pick up where left off another time, is that okay?" he asked.

"Got somewhere to be?" asked Steve.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be at a press conference."

The wheelchair-bound co-owner nodded, remembering hearing about it.

"Ah, that LexCorp event." he said. "I get'cha. Well, how about we finish this, say, tomorrow at 3:00? We get a half-hour break at that time, so it'd be perfect."

"Sounds great, Steve. I'll see you again tomorrow."

"Have a nice day, Mr. Kent. Don't let that Lois Lane give you a hard time, okay?"

Clark laughed, and shook hands with Steve, then headed out of the garage, where Jimmy rushed over to him.

"That Maverick guy is really cool." he told the Smallville reporter. "He says that he knows all the passageways and best hiding spots in the Slums, and the best spots to take a girl when you want a romantic evening."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, Jimmy." Clark said, as he pocketed his notepad. "Steve Duke says that they all came from Mythril City, MA, so I don't think either of them know too much about this place."

"Hey, Kent!" Steve called.

The reporter and photographer looked back to see Steve wheeling himself out of the garage.

"Mind showing my mechanic which way to go?" he asked. "Mav's supposed to be meeting someone up there."

Clark nodded, and he and Jimmy got into his car, while the mechanic named "Maverick" got into the truck behind him. The two vehicles drove out of the parking lot, and headed off to the park.

Fifteen minutes later- Metropolis Park-

Lois Lane waited next to a table full of food and refreshments with several other reporters and camerapeople, and her eyes narrowed when she saw Clark and Jimmy walking towards her.

"You're late!" she scolded them.

"Sorry." apologized Clark. "What did we miss?"

"Not much, it hasn't started yet."

Then Lois saw the mechanic walking over behind Clark, looking at her.

"Who's the grease monkey?" she asked.

"I'm Rank, Rank Maverick." the mechanic greeted, politely. "Ma'am."

Lois looked down to see he was offering a handshake, but she didn't take it.

"'Rank Maverick'?" the female reporter repeated. "What kind of a name is that?"

Rank looked up at Clark, then back at the female reporter. While he looked as if he wanted to tell Lois off, he kept his cool, and withdrew his hand.

"...My dad was a dimwit, he wanted his son to have a macho name." replied Rank. "My mother's maiden name was 'Maverick' and they'd rather I have her last name for my own. Dad wanted to see what kind of man I'd turn into before I 'earned' his last name."

Lois gave a low, long whistle, and Clark turned to the mechanic.

"I thought you said you were meeting someone here." he said.

"I haven't seen her yet." shrugged Rank.

"Whoa, you're meeting a 'she' here?" asked Lois.

Rank blushed slightly and nodded.

"Who's the lucky lady?" the female reporter pressed on.

"Y'know, I just remembered, I'm not supposed to be talking to strangers." Rank stated, quickly.

He turned and quickly walked away, leaving the two reporters and the young photographer behind, staring at him, confused.

"Smallville, you make the weirdest friends." said Lois.

Clark slowly turned to stare at her for a moment, as if offended, then noticed a group of photographers standing around something, or rather someone.

"What's going on over there?" he asked.

Lois turned to see what he was looking at and smirked.

"Mercy Graves and the subject of our interview." she replied. "Cydni Barnes, she worked as an orphanage caretaker for 45 years. Word on the street is that since Lex vamoosed from the planet during that battle with Darkseid, Mercy was eager to start a whole lot of these projects."

"'Projects'?" repeated Jimmy.

"This one involves a new orphanage to celebrate Ms. Barnes' 45th anniversary as a caretaker. I don't see why Mercy waited until after Lex was gone to have this made."

Clark wondered the same thing, but then he remembered that Mercy once told him, when he was Superman, that she lived on the streets once. Maybe she developed a soft side for homeless children, maybe she was in it for the profits, he didn't know. The Daily Planet trio moved in closer for a better look, and saw them. Mercy Graves was a young woman with long, light brown hair, and brown eyes, and she wore a dark pantsuit with brown pantyhose and black heels. Beside her was an elderly black woman, who was just one-fifth short than she was. She had short black hair and brown eyes, wore a blue jacket over a white blouse, a blue skirt, and white sneakers. Both were smiling at the cameras, but Clark couldn't see any deceit behind Mercy's smile, which made him curious. What was she smiling about? Before he could have time to think about it, an explosion went off nearby, startling just about everyone in the area. People began to scramble out of the park, but Clark remained where he was, looking for the source of the explosion. He looked to the side, and saw an android with most of what appeared to be a human face and his blond hair still intact, wearing a shredded white shirt on his mechanical torso, and a pair of brown pants and black shoes as well. His cybernetic green eyes, and human-like brown eye glared at the crowd fleeing around him, as he marched forward, a malevolent grin on his face.

"Metallo." Clark gasped.

He rushed off to find a place to change, and while he did that, Mercy tried to help escort her elderly guest out of the fray.

"Come on, we've gotta go!" the CEO pleaded, urgently.

Unfortunately, she found herself and the woman being blocked off by five thugs dressed in ski masks and dark clothing, all armed with guns.

"Who are you, what do you want?!" demanded Mercy.

"You to come with us, Ms. Graves." one of the thugs, whom she assumed to be the leader, answered, raising his gun towards her.

Mercy scowled at them, then moved in front of Cydni.

"Do what you want with me, but let her go." she ordered them.

The leader nodded at two of his men on his left, and watched as they seized the LexCorp CEO, while Cydni watched in horror. Luckily for them, however, Superman rocketed towards them and knocked the other two thugs away.

"Superman!" exclaimed Cydni.

Superman looked down at her and Mercy, and waved.

"Evening." he greeted.

One of the thugs that had Mercy pulled out a gun and held it to the back of her head.

"Get back, or I'll shoot!" he threatened.

Before Superman could make a move, he felt a hard force tackle into his back, knocking him into the ground. He looked up to see Metallo standing over him, and uncloaked the kryptonite heart hidden beneath his chest, making the Kryptonian hero gasp in pain.

"Come now, Superman," Metallo taunted him. "You're making this all too easy."

Superman reached up to his ear to use his comlink to call for help, only to realize that it had fallen out. He looked around to find that it was laying on the ground several feet away. Immediately, the Kryptonian began crawling towards the device, but Metallo beat him to it and crushed it.

"Aw, did I break your toy?" the cyborg asked, mockingly. "Good, now there'll be no one to stop your demise this time."

"Aura blast!" a new voice shouted.

Metallo then looked up and to each side, confused.

"I'm sorry, did someone say-HA!" he began.

A blue energy blast struck him in the back, knocking him to the ground. The thugs, Superman, Mercy, and Cydni looked up to see a masked, armored fighter standing several feet away. He had black spiky hair, and his eyes were hidden behind a dark blue and black mask that covered all but the top of his head and his nose and mouth, he was dressed in a black long-sleeved jumpsuit with a light blue and silver-trimmed armored top over the torso that looked like something from the Middle Ages, a pair of black, fingerless padded gloves, and a pair of armored knee pads that looked similar to the armor, and he wore a pair of metallic black boots. His right hand was extended towards Metallo, with smoke coming from it, indicating that he was the one who fired the blast, and lowered it, his gaze narrowing at the fallen cyborg.

"The next time you want to kill off one of your enemies, talk less and fight more." the mysterious warrior spoke, in a calm voice.

* * *

Decided to try again with the DC fanfic, but with another approach. So, let's see, disclaimers. I don't own any of the official DC characters, or the locations, I own the location Mythril, since I made it up on the spot because Superman has Smallville and Metropolis, and Batman has Gotham City, so I needed to give my team of heroes a made-up hometown. I own Steve Duke, J.C. Barclay, Rank Maverick, their business, and Cydni Barnes, and the mystery hero who will be revealed next chapter. Read and review, no flaming. Adios, amigos y amigas!


	2. Revelations

Chapter Two: Revelations-

Superman looked up at the new player joining into the fight, and pushed himself up on all fours.

"Who are you?" asked the Man of Steel.

"I am Crash Cobalt, Aura Knight assigned to the planet Earth." replied the mysterious stranger.

The Kryptonian hero stared at him, confused. He hadn't heard of this man before, and he didn't know what an Aura Knight was either. Crash caught onto this and laughed softly.

"Don't worry, I'm an ally." he reassured the man. "Otherwise I wouldn't have attacked gear-for-brains like I did."

As he said this, Metallo slowly got back up to his feet, and glared maliciously at the new hero.

"Why you...!" he snarled.

"Anytime, metalhead." Crash taunted, calmly, as he got into a fighting stance.

Metallo gave a strangled yell as he charged at the Aura Knight, only for him to leap out of the way, then roundhouse kick him away into the ground once again.

"Control your emotions." Crash lectured the cyborg, sternly. "You won't win any fight if you let them control you. It's best to control them,...otherwise, it blinds you so much you lose sight of everything."

"Don't you lecture me!" Metallo screamed, getting back up.

"Maybe you should focus on taking what I say to heart. Isn't that how you keep losing your fights?"

Metallo's face twisted into the look of a wild beast ready to kill, but before he could charge, he felt himself being tackled to the ground by Superman. He created a crater into the ground several feet long, before he stopped. Superman and Crash flew up into the air, and watched as Metallo got back up.

"What's the plan?" asked Crash.

"He can focus the kryptonite into a beam and hit me with it from the heart or from the eyes." Superman explained to him, before looking at him. "I can't get too close to it, or else I'll be weakened again."

"So we find a way to get that chunk away from him?"

"Right. You go full-frontal assault,..."

Crash looked back at him with a grin, knowing exactly where he was going with this.

"And you go in for a blind side." he said, with a nod.

The two high-fived each other and flew off in opposite directions, then Metallo tried to hit Superman with a kryptonite beam, only to be blasted by several aura blasts, fired by Crash.

"Pesky, little worm!" growled Metallo.

He aimed to hit the Aura Knight next, but was tackled behind by his Kryptonian nemesis, who flew back into the air again to rejoin his new ally. Metallo got back up, and glared heatedly at them.

"Stop playing games and fight me!" he demanded.

"Aw, he thinks we're playing games." said Crash.

"Then let's play." Superman announced, looking at him.

The Aura Knight looked back at him, confused, and saw a smile growing on the Kryptonian's face.

"Ever play a game of Red Rover before?" the latter hero asked.

"I've heard of it." replied Crash.

While Superman explained the rules, Metallo dashed off towards them, and leapt into the air with a strangled yell. Superman saw this, and looked at his new teammate.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Do it!" replied Crash.

Superman grabbed his ankles, tightened his grip around them a bit, and began spinning the armored hero around quickly.

"Red Rover, Red Rover, send Crash Cobalt over!" the Kryptonian hero shouted.

He released Crash's legs, and sent the armored hero flying towards Metallo.

"Oh, no," growled the metallic villain. "You are not getting me again!"

He reared back a fist, and waited for Crash to get close enough, then let it fly once he was right in front of him. Crash grunted in pain as he was sent flying, and bounced off of the ground three times before he finally landed on his back, his arms wrapped around his chest. Metallo snickered at the sight of the fallen hero as he floated back down to the ground, but the sound of louder laughter stopped him. He soon realized that it was Superman, who was laughing at him.

"What's so funny?" asked Metallo.

The Man of Steel continued to laugh, ignoring him, and making Metallo even more furious. The cyborg attempted to turn to yell at him some more, but realized he couldn't move.

"What...?!" he shouted. "Why can't I move?!"

Several feet away, where Crash Cobalt had crashed, the Aura Knight rose to his feet and held up the chunk of kryptonite that was once Metallo's heart and power source.

"I told him." he said, shrugging.

Superman floated down before Metallo, and smiled.

"When you hit Crash, you didn't notice that he took your kryptonite heart with him when you knocked him away." he explained. "You can't move without it."

"You had it all planned!" growled Metallo.

"It was more of a last minute plan."

Superman flew off, and landed a few ways off from where Crash was, because the kryptonite was still able to affect him, then watched as Crash tossed the radioactive rock into the air. Then he looked over at Superman with a nod, and the Kryptonian hit it with his heat vision, destroying it, making it ineffective. The two heroes walked towards each other, and stopped once they were a couple of feet apart.

"Thanks for the help, Crash." said Superman.

"No problem." replied Crash. "Clark." he added, in a low voice.

Superman's eyes widened in shock, completely caught off-guard. The stranger had known his true identity, and seemed so calm about it.

"All will be revealed," Crash explained, raising his hand up in a halting gesture. "I've been meaning to discuss something with you and your team, but we've gotta turn Metallo over to the cops first."

"The cops?" repeated Superman. "But how-"

He looked up, and saw blue and red lights swarming around the park, with the thugs being led away in handcuffs. The Man of Steel then looked back over at Crash, a suspicious glare on his face.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"That will be made clear eventually." replied Crash. "Come on, we've got clean-up duty as well. Let's get the walking junk pile and hand him over to your law enforcement pals."

The Aura Knight walked off to go get Metallo, leaving Superman staring after him, bewildered. He soon joined him in handing Metallo over to Inspector Maggie Sawyer, while the other cops took the five thugs, who attempted to abduct Mercy, into custody. Superman then noticed that the getaway van was in shambles, totally destroyed. It looked as if it had fallen to pieces, literally.

"What happened to that van?" asked the Man of Steel.

"Those guys said that the van was working perfectly," replied Maggie. "They took it in to a mechanic's shop to have it fixed up, but it looks like the grease monkey who fixed it didn't do such a good job."

"Did the auto shop or the mechanic have a name?" Crash questioned, stepping forward.

Maggie looked at her notepad, then back up at Crash with a nod.

"Yep, some rookie mechanic from that new auto shop," she answered, casually. "'Duke and Barclay's'. I'll have to bring this..."

The police lieutenant paused to look back at her notepad, before continuing again.

"'Ranklin Maverick' person in for questioning tomorrow morning." she finished, before pocketing the notepad. "Who's the new guy, Superman?" she added, looking up at the Kryptonian hero.

"This is Crash Cobalt, he helped out with Metallo." replied Superman. "Crash, this is Inspector Maggie Sawyer, head of the Special Crimes Unit of the Metropolis Police Department.

"Ma'am." Crash simply greeted, offering a handshake.

The SCU Inspector studied his hand for a moment, then took it, shaking it politely. Superman raised an eyebrow, looking over at Crash, surprised once again.

"Welcome to Metropolis, Crash Cobalt." Maggie responded, smiling. "You a member of the Justice League?"

"No, Peace Brigade." replied Crash. "We're an underground team, I just returned from training a week ago so my team can discuss something with Superman and his friends."

Maggie nodded in understanding, then she returned to do her job. Then Superman looked over at his new friend.

"You have a habit of doing that, don't you?" he asked, smiling.

"Finally figured me out?" Crash responded, raising an eyebrow.

"You did the same with Lois earlier."

Crash rubbed the back of his head, remembering that he did do the exact same thing with Clark's danger prone friend.

"Tough habit to break." he chuckled, sheepishly. "I'll try to work on that."

"What were you really doing here?" Superman asked, getting to the point. "It couldn't have been for the reason you said before, could it?"

Crash then chuckled quietly, confusing the Kryptonian.

"I never lied about that." he told him. "You escort your friends back home, I don't think Mercy will be doing any press conferences for the rest of the night. I'll meet you at the Metro Tower with my second in command after I take care of business."

Superman then watched as Crash took off into the air, growing more and more curious by the second. What was this "Peace Brigade"? And how did Crash Cobalt know who he really was?

Moments Later- Parking Lot-

"Smallville!" Lois called.

"Hey, Clark!" shouted Jimmy.

The two were standing around Clark's car, waiting for their friend to reappear. Lois huffed, and leaned back against the car, impatiently.

"Where'd Houdini vanish off to now?" she muttered.

Jimmy turned to call out for his friend again, then spotted Clark running over to them.

"Found him." he said, pointing at Clark.

Lois stood up straight, and crossed her arms over her chest, turning to glare at her partner. Clark stopped when he was next to his car, and looked out of breath.

"Hey, guys," he greeted. "What's going on?"

"What happened to you?" asked Lois.

"Went the wrong way. Sorry, I panicked."

Lois just shrugged, and let it pass.

"Yeah, well, you just missed it." she told him. "Word on the street is that Superman had some help tonight against Metallo."

"Think he's a member of the Justice League?" asked Jimmy.

"Doubt it. I've never seen him before in my life."

Clark nodded in agreement. Then he saw Rank walking towards them, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, it's you again." said Lois. "You find your girlfriend?"

Rank looked up, clearing his throat as he did so.

"No, I didn't." he replied. "See you around, guys."

He began to leave, and noticed Clark turning to look at him. The mechanic realized the nature of the look, and he understood right away. They weren't finished yet. Rank climbed back into his truck, started it up, then drove away.

* * *

I came up with Crash Cobalt some time ago, thought it was a cool name. He's got another alias, but that will be revealed in time. As mentioned before, don't own the DC characters, just the Peace Brigade members so far. Rank's mysterious friend will be revealed soon, she's important to the story. I've got Chapters Three and Four already typed up, working on five through twelve as you read this.


	3. The Peace Brigade

Chapter Three: The Peace Brigade-

A half and hour later- Metro Tower-

Superman, and the other six senior members of the Justice League sat at the table in the conference room, facing their guests, one of which the Man of Steel had met earlier. On either side of him were Bruce Wayne, also known as Gotham's Dark Knight "Batman", and Themysciran Amazoness princess Diana, also known to the world as "Wonder Woman". Beside them were "Martian Manhunter" Jonn Jonzz, the last Martian in existence, and one of the Green Lanterns of Earth John Stewart. Finally, the last two were Shayera Hol, Thanagarian immigrant to Earth, and Wally West, also known to the planet as the speedster from Central City "Flash". Standing before them were Crash Cobalt, the Aura Knight who helped Superman, and a young woman beside him who was dressed in a labcoat and black slacks and black and red sneakers. She was a dark-skinned woman with short, shaggy black hair, and a pair of brown eyes with a pair of wire-rimmed glasses seated on her nose.

"First thing's first, what is the Peace Brigade?" asked Jonn.

"As I mentioned to Superman and Ms. Sawyer, we are an underground group of metahumans, like you guys, who want to help fight evil." replied Crash. "My team hid in the shadows for good reasons, one of which was to avoid detection by the Legion of Doom, the other was because we were all still in training."

Superman nodded at this.

"I see, and who might this be?" he asked, turning to the woman.

"Dr. Kristian Corbett, our scientist, inventor, and resident knucklehead." replied Crash. "We call her 'Kris' for short though, and we're forbidden to call her 'Krissy'."

Batman then looked up at her, raising an eyebrow.

"'Dr. Corbett'?" he repeated.

His response came in the form of a scowl from Kris, and Crash knew he had to intervene.

"She's Colin's daughter, but she's not like him." he explained, quickly. "Kris uses her smarts for good,...and to perfect a machine that makes the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

The last part caused the Justice League members to stare at them in surprise.

"Do I dare I ask why?" Shayera wondered aloud, bewildered.

"Every mad scientist has their weird thing." sighed Flash.

"Hey, watch it with the 'mad scientist' remark, Speedy Gonzales." Kris shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "I have to have some kind of impossible challenge to work on."

Wonder Woman then decided to step in, with questions of her own.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" she spoke. "Superman said you needed to talk to us, and I don't think it's to tell us who you are, and who you're working with."

Crash couldn't help but chuckle, and smiled at the seven Leaguers.

"Of course, forgive me." he said, politely. "You see, I returned from training back home to Earth for a reason,-"

"Hold on, what do you mean 'back home to Earth'?" interrupted Batman.

Green Lantern rubbed at his chin in thought, then looked over at Superman.

"Superman, didn't you say this man was an 'Aura Knight'?" he asked.

The Kryptonian nodded, and Green Lantern glanced up at Crash.

"You were on Evitru, home of the Aura Wielders." he gasped.

"'Evi' what?" repeated Flash.

"'Evitru', it's a sacred world," explained Shayera. "I've heard tales about it, you have to have a very special gift or be a pure of heart person to be recruited. People are recruited from every world."

"Every world?" asked Batman. "Like New Genesis, Krypton, Apokalyps?"

"That's the rule. Fortunately, I haven't met or heard of any Aura Soldier who turned out to be evil. They've got Shamans, Knights, Armamentalists, Paladins, Dragooners, even Reapers. About one of each for every planet."

Superman then looked over at the Aura Knight standing before him. He was surprised that these people, and this Evitru place, existed. However, he needed to know what the Peace Brigade needed.

"Before we move on with more questions about Evitru and you Soldiers, what reason brought you back to Earth?" he asked.

"Yakini, the Aura Shaman of Earth, alerted us of a vision he had." Kris replied, stepping forward. "He said Earth was in terrible danger. Two evils would return to Earth, and one of the Soldiers would turn on Evitru."

Immediately, Batman looked over at Crash, suspiciously. Crash caught this and scowled back at him.

"Not me, Spooky." he snapped.

"Yakini was referring to the Aura Reaper of Earth, a guy known as Jack Flynn." Kris explained, as she placed a file onto the table. "His reason for being a Soldier: Power of CamoSoul. Means no one can sense him, he can't sense anyone. Evitru's king recruited him around the same time he got Rank, though Jack stowed away when Rank left to begin his first year of training. Jack's a textbook sociopath, and a power-hungry one at that. He's looking to try and recruit more Soldiers to join his cause, and he's even teaming up with the Legion of Doom."

"The Legion of Doom's pretty much disbanded though." Wonder Woman pointed out.

"Not anymore, Grodd and Luthor are bringing the team back together again."

The moment the Brigade's scientist mentioned those names, the Justice League heroes stared at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" asked Shayera. "Grodd's dead and Luthor's sealed up in the Source Wall with Darkseid."

"He was." Crash replied, bitterly.

He nodded at Kris, and she handed Batman another file. The Dark Knight opened it and his eyes widened as he scanned the contents.

"You can't be serious." he growled.

"Afraid so." responded Crash. "It also confirmed our worst fears. Yakini's vision is coming true, and this planet will be in danger. That's why we're stationed in Metropolis now, I'm here with my comrades to keep an eye on Lex Luthor should he ever return."

Superman raised an eyebrow, as something crossed his mind.

"'Comrades'." he repeated. "Those two friends of yours at the auto shop."

Crash nodded, smirking.

"Hit the nail on the head." he confirmed. "Astro and Airborne, our speedster and shapeshifter. Two of our team's senior members beside me, Kris, and Akasha. Speaking of whom, I'm gonna call her up and see if she can phase me a ride home. We'll continue this discussion another time."

He turned to leave, then Superman rose up to stop him.

"Wait." he called. "The friend of yours you mentioned at the park, was that a lie?"

"I told you, Clark." Crash responded, not looking at him. "I wasn't lying. I do have a friend in Metropolis, and she's not a member of either of our teams."

With that, he and Kris left. Superman sat back down, and looked over at Green Lantern and Shayera.

"Curious, how do you guys know about the Aura Soldiers and this world Evitru anyway?" he asked.

"Do they not tell the stories about Evitru here?" asked Jonn.

Superman, Batman, and Flash stared at him in surprise.

"I've been hearing the legends since I was a child." the Martian Manhunter explained with a shrug. "There have been people on Mars who were recruited by them also."

"I've visited Evitru once before," explained Green Lantern. "The Guardians of Oa brought several of us Lanterns there so we could train with the Aura Soldiers. It was the most beautiful place I've ever seen. No technology, not a lot of violence, it was peaceful. Their ruler, King Auron, was a kind leader who valued all life, and wanted to see the good in all."

Shayera nodded, smiling in reminiscence.

"The Thanagarian Aura Soldiers just told us stories about the place, I never got to see it, but it sounds amazing." she sighed. "I have a souvenir that my uncle got from the king, too."

The winged heroine took a small necklace out of her pocket and held it up for her friends to see. The necklace had a crystal-like charm on it in the shape of a spiral teardrop, and it was glowing blue.

"What makes it glow?" asked Flash.

"The wearer's aura is reflected in this little charm," replied Shayera. "It's blue because I'm one of the good guys, well, 'girls'. Red means 'evil' though, and if it's clear, you're either dead or your aura can't be detected."

Flash blinked, as he tried to wrap his mind around the whole thing.

"So, what, is it like some kind of mood necklace?" he asked.

"In a way." answered Green Lantern.

The others continued to stare at the necklace in awe.

Meanwhile- LexCorp- CEO's office-

Mercy sat at her desk, and stared intensely at the screen of her laptop. On the screen showed a picture of the mechanic who supposedly sabotaged the vehicles. She reached over and picked up the phone, then dialed a few numbers before holding it to her ear.

"Yeah, I need you to get me some information on a man." she spoke.

A slight pause later, then Mercy looked at her laptop screen.

"His name is Ranklin Maverick, get me his work hours, where he works, and his current address." she ordered. "I want that info, and I better have it yesterday."

* * *

Short third chapter, I know, but I'm following a friend's advice and working to my own beat. So, I just introduced my next OC, a mad scientist who wants to make a machine that creates the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sorry, I know it's stupid or weird, but like Flash said, every mad scientist has to have their own weird thing. Kris does tend to get a little weirder and crazier as the story progresses. So, what does Mercy want with Rank, and what happens now that the Legion of Doom is back together with Luthor and Grodd returning? All will be revealed in time. I own the Peace Brigade team, including Rank Maverick, Kris Corbett, Crash Cobalt, Akasha, Steve Duke, J.C. Barclay, and Evitru and it's inhabitants, and the Aura Soldier thing, and the plot, too, everything else, you know the story.


	4. The Meeting

Chapter Four: The Meeting-

The Next Day- Duke and Barclay's- Garage-

The following afternoon after the battle with Metallo, and the brief meeting with the Justice League, things settled down in Metropolis once again until the next villain of the day started causing trouble again. In the garage of the auto shop where Clark visited the previous evening, the three mechanics were busy finishing their work before their lunch break came. Steve was sitting in his wheelchair tightening the bolts on the tires' hubcaps, while Rank was replacing the battery, and J.C. was changing the oil. They towed in a car owned by a elderly grandfather who was scammed by another auto repair shop, and nearly got into an accident while out for a drive with his two granddaughters. Steve wiped the sweat from his forehead, and wheeled himself away from the car.

"Alright, Jace, let 'er down." he called.

J.C. nodded, and slowly lowered the car back down on the ground using the lift.

"Thank you so much." the grandfather, Mr. Isaacs, said to the mechanics.

"Don't worry about it, sir." Steve replied, shaking his hand. "You and your grandkids drive safe now, got me?"

"Of course."

Just as Mr. Isaacs and his two grandchildren drove away, another car drove into the shop. This time, it was a white car with a red hood, and a woman was driving with a man in the passenger's seat.

"Hey, it's our buddy from the Planet." Steve chuckled, pointing at the man.

Sure enough, Clark Kent exited the car, with Lois Lane exiting from the driver's side. The two of them walked over to the mechanics, with Lois heading straight towards Steve.

"I understand that you're the owner of this business?" asked the female reporter.

Steve merely shrugged.

"Guilty." he responded. "Well, I'm the co-owner, J.C. is the other co-owner."

"Mind if I ask some questions today, while my friend interviews your friend, Mr. Maverick?" asked Lois.

"Not at all."

While Lois got down to business, questioning the co-owners, Clark took Rank aside, to avoid having her eavesdropping in their conversation.

"I was wondering if it'd be alright if Batman and Question could work at your headquarters with Dr. Corbett." he asked. "It'd be better to have three people investigating rather than two, and if we're working together, it should be a joint investigation."

"Good idea," nodded Rank. "I doubt Kris would leave the lab anyway. I had to ask Rose to open a shadow portal to get us to Metro Tower together."

"'Shadow portal'?"

"Rose has power over shadows, more powerful than that Shade character. She can open shadow portals almost anywhere on the planet."

Clark stared at the mechanic in amazement, then he remembered something about the meeting with the mechanic's alter ego and his friend, and about how Batman reacted to hearing the scientist's name.

"Been meaning to ask, is there something about Dr. Corbett that I should know about?" he asked.

Rank just stared at him, confused.

"Didn't you know?" he asked. "Kris comes from a long line of mad scientists, her dad's practically famous. Well, 'infamous', actually. She's the first one to turn good, breaking family tradition."

"So, why is she so obsessed with that peanut butter and jelly device?" asked Clark.

"She's weird that way, but I wouldn't have anyone else for a second best friend."

They heard someone clearing their throat, and the two heroes looked up to see J.C. waving at his co-worker, smiling innocently.

"'Female best friend'!" Rank corrected himself. "You're my guy best friend! The number one guy best friend!"

Clark laughed at the two of them, as J.C. turned away, grinning, then stopped when he heard another car pulling up towards them. Clark and Rank turned to see a black limo parked outside of the auto shop. A man stepped out of the driver's side and began making his way to the passenger's door, while Lois, Clark, Rank, J.C., and Steve all gathered together to see who was there.

"Uh-oh, Ms. Graves is preparing to grace us with her presence." muttered Lois.

"Better go and see what she wants." said Rank. "Continue with the interview, ma'am, this won't take long."

He began moving towards the limo, while Lois and the other two mechanics remained behind. Clark, however, followed after him, deciding to back him up just in case. The chaffeur opened the passenger door, and Mercy exited the car, looking up at Rank and Clark, then began walking over to them. The trio stopped, only a couple of feet apart from each other, and the two sides stared each other down.

"'Ranklin Maverick'?" Mercy spoke, looking up at Rank.

"That's me." responded Rank.

"Come with me."

Mercy began making her way back to the limo, then turned back to see Rank remained where he was.

"What, do you need an invite?" she asked.

Rank looked over at Clark, who just shrugged at him.

"I'll catch up with you later." he muttered, low enough for the Kryptonian to hear. "Let me get my gear, and I'll be right there." he added, looking back at Mercy.

Clark watched as his friend dashed over to his truck to grab his satchel, and run right back over to the limo, where he followed Mercy inside. The door closed, and the limo drove away once the driver got back in his seat. Lois and J.C. walked over to Clark, with Steve wheeling himself right beside them, the four of them staring in confusion.

"What does Mercy want with Rank?" asked Lois.

"During your interview with Maggie Sawyer, didn't she say that a mechanic from Duke and Barclay's was the one responsible for the sabotaging of that gang's van?" Clark brought up, looking at her.

"As a matter of fact, she did."

The two looked over at J.C. and Steve. Realizing the nature behind the stares, Steve spoke up.

"Yes, well, as I told Inspector Sawyer, sometime around 5:00 yesterday, this man did bring a van similar to the one in the photograph she had shown us," he explained. "Rank said he overheard the man talking over the phone about bringing a getaway car, and to make certain that the person he was talking to had their meal ticket ready. While the guy was gone, I saw Rank messing with some of the parts on the vehicle. I was going to confront him about it, but he told me what he had heard. I told him that if he was wrong, he'd be fired on the spot, and I'd have to turn him in. Can't tell you how glad I was that he was right to ruin that old hunk of junk."

Lois nodded, understanding, while Clark looked at where the limo taking Mercy and Rank had drove off to.

Inside the Limo-

Rank sat beside Mercy with his arms crossed over his chest and his stormy blue eyes staring forward. He felt a little out of place, dressed in his mechanic work attire, while the woman beside him was dressed a little more sophisticated than him.

"Relax, big guy, you're not dealing with Lex Luthor here." Mercy told him.

"But I am dealing with the CEO of LexCorp." Rank reminded her, calmly. "I know what to do and what not to do."

Mercy merely laughed a little. He was well-informed, but she didn't want the mechanic thinking that she was like her former boss.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me." the female CEO reassured the man beside her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"My friend Kris said the same exact thing, I ended up blacking out five seconds later when one of her projects backfired, and woke up in the hospital several hours later." growled Rank. "Cut to the chase, I know you've got more reasons than just picking me up and wanting to make pleasant conversation."

Mercy stared at him, a little surprised, then cleared her throat.

"Yes, let's get to the point, Mr. Maverick." she agreed, regaining her composure.

Meanwhile- Somewhere in Louisiana- Bayou Swamps-

A hooded figure trudged into the forest, acting like a man on a mission. He appeared to have been walking for about half an hour, maybe long, for a while now, but now he had finally reached his destination. He stopped in the middle of the grassy field and looked up at the structure before him. A dome-shaped fortress was placed in the middle of swamp, and it's door was open.

"I wonder how they got this one up and running." the man spoke in a low, smooth voice.

He calmly walked into the fortress, and found a familiar figure waiting for him in the hallway. Upon closer glance, you could see that it was a black-haired gorilla with dark gray skin. He stood on his two legs with his arms folded behind his back, a calm smile on his face. The man stopped a few feet in front of him, and looked him up and down.

"Grodd, it's been a while." he greeted.

"As much as I'd like to pay you back for shipping me off into space, Lex, we've got bigger fish to fry." replied Grodd. "It seems we share a common ally."

The man, now identified as Lex Luthor, took off his cloak, revealing his face, and grinned.

"And a common goal." agreed Luthor. "So, where might our new friend be?"

"He said he was going to pick up a few things before he arrived." explained Grodd. "In the meantime though, let's chat. I've heard some talk about you and your trip to the Source Wall."

"Oh, did you now?"

Back in Metropolis-

Clark stood outside the garage, his back against Rank's truck, checking his watch every so often. Lois had taken off back to the Daily Planet, while Clark stayed behind to wait for Rank so he could finish his interview. Of course, Clark really wanted to make certain that his new friend wasn't in any danger. Rank had gone off with Mercy just ten minutes ago, and he couldn't help but feel worried. While the Kryptonian knew that Mercy wasn't like her old boss, he remembered what she was capable of, and he didn't know if Rank was well-educated on LexCorp's criminal history. Clark could only hope that she wouldn't try anything.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." J.C. told him.

Clark looked up to see him standing a few feet away, a smile on his face.

"She won't hurt him." J.C. reassured the hero. "Rank's got this trick, he can tell who his friends and foes are just by a quick glance. Part of the Aura Soldier training."

"Why do they call you 'Astro' anyway?" asked Clark.

"I'm a living meteor, I can fly through space and breathe in it." replied J.C.. "My suit protects me from the heat when I'm space bound, so nothing to worry about."

"And Steve?"

"Steve's Airborne because he's got this nasty curse on him, he changes into flying creatures, but only flying ones. That's why he's in a wheelchair. Soon as he gets out, he morphs into his primary form, a gryphon."

Clark looked back over at Steve, who was wheeling around in the garage, cleaning up the place.

"I don't get it, looks like a normal wheelchair to me." he said.

"Steve can't have both feet touching the ground." explained J.C.. "Curse didn't mention anything about a wheelchair."

Clark nodded in understanding, then he and J.C. watched as the familiar LexCorp limo pulled up by the garage once again, and Rank emerged from it. He talked for a moment with Mercy before closing the door, and watching as the limo drove away. Rank then walked over to the garage, and stopped to look at the looks on Clark and J.C.'s faces.

"What?" he asked.

"What did Mercy want from you?" asked Clark.

"I'll tell you, if you swear not to tell your friend Lois."

"Fair enough."

Rank gestured for him to come over to where he was standing, and once Clark was in proximity, he leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Clark's eyes grew wide in surprise as he looked up at the mechanic in shock.

"You're serious?" he asked.

"I only tell you because I trust you not to use me to spy on her." Rank told him.

"But why you?"

"Chicks dig greasers." cracked J.C..

Clark and Rank looked over at him, both raising an eyebrow, as the other mechanic chuckled to himself.

"You don't even know what we're talking about!" shouted Rank. "She's not even interested in me!"

"Denial's not just a river in Egypt." J.C. calmly replied, turning away.

Rank stormed after his friend as the two walked into the back room of the auto shop, while Steve wheeled himself over to Clark.

"My kids don't even bicker as much as these two dingledorks do." Steve spoke, raising his eyebrows.

"'Dingledorks'?" repeated Clark.

"My son liked the Power Rangers once, now he's got new heroes."

"Airborne?"

"Flash and the Creeper."

"...Ouch."

* * *

So Grodd and Luthor are back, and we've learned a little more about the Peace Brigade, but what did Mercy want with Rank? Could J.C. be right and Mercy asked him on a date, or is there something else? Find out in the next chapter, coming up soon. I own the Peace Brigade characters, Evitru, the Aura Soldiers, and this plot, everything else is all owned by DC Comics' creator.


	5. Rank's Mysterious Friend

Chapter Five: Rank's Mysterious Friend-

Outside Metro Tower-

Batman and the Question stood outside in their respective uniforms, waiting for their ride to show up. Clark had contacted Batman while at the garage, and told him that Kris would be coming by to pick them up so they can do some work at the Peace Brigade headquarters. Now here they were, waiting for Kris to come and get them.

"So, let me see if I got this straight," Question spoke, not facing his teammate. "A complete stranger and his mad scientist buddy came to the Metro Tower asking for help."

"That's right." confirmed Batman.

"They claim that their friend, a Shaman, had a vision of Luthor and Grodd coming back."

"That's right."

"And now we're going for a ride with the latest descendant of a family of mad scientists."

"That's right."

"...You people are not allowed to complain about me and my conspiracies ever again after this."

"Done talking now? Here's our ride."

Question looked up to see a black jet flying towards them, and gently landing on the ground beside them. The hatch slowly opened, with an ominous light coming out of it. Standing in the doorway was Kris, who stared at them with a serious glance.

"Come with me if you want to live." she told them.

Question and Batman merely stared at her. Kris' face fell like a ton of bricks, and she slumped a little as she jerked a thumb behind her.

"Just get in." she grumbled, irritated.

The two investigators climbed into the jet through the hatch, and followed the Peace Brigade scientist until they reached the cockpit where a teenage girl was sitting. She had tanned skin, brown hair and brown eyes, and wore a maroon hoodie with blue jeans and purple sneakers. On her hands were a pair of black gloves with yellow lines criss-crossing around them like circuits on a motherboard.

"Ready for takeoff?" she asked.

Question looked up at Kris, and you could imagine a deadpanned expression on his face.

"Please tell me she's not driving." he pleaded.

"She's qualified." shrugged Kris.

"She's a child."

"She's thirteen."

"Exactly."

"It's either her at the wheel or the mad scientist, take your pick."

Question shut up and sat down, buckling up, as the teenage girl flew the jet out of the area. He looked to the side and saw an older boy sitting on his left, looking down at the ground. He had tanned skin and brown hair too, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of glasses with thick lenses. He wore a black t-shirt and khakis with brown work boots with black laces.

"So, what's your name, kiddo?" asked Question.

"Sherlock." replied the boy.

"No kidding?"

"It's my codename."

The boy took off his glasses to look at the conspiracy theorist, revealing his eyes. They appeared to be normal, with the exception of the irises changing colors every second.

"What's with his eyes?" asked Batman.

He was looking at the teenage boy as well. Kris looked over at her teammate, then back at Batman.

"It's all part of Brian's powers." she replied.

"His powers?" Batman repeated, confused.

"He's got about, what, twenty four, I think, kinds of vision, and he's a walking motion detector. It's a nightmare, so those glasses he has there? They not only hide the side effects and his spasms, they deactivate his vision."

Batman watched as Brian replaced his glasses over his face.

"Where'd you find them?" he asked.

"I didn't find them anywhere, I made them." replied Kris. "Wasn't easy to find the material, but Aquila found the right glass for me to use for lenses and a shield."

"I meant the kids."

"Oh, Brian and Gillian? Their parents asked us to help them control their abilities since it was no secret to them that I was a mutated hybrid and Steve's cursed."

Both Question and Batman were staring at the mad scientist now.

"Did you just say 'mutated hybrid'?" asked Question.

"She's referring to the experiments her father performed on her as a child." explained Batman.

Kris raised an eyebrow to look at him, as Batman faced forward in his seat.

"I've heard all about it in the paper, details about why your father was lobotomized." he went on. "I'm...sorry."

The young woman beside him faced forward in her seat also, wringing her hands in her lap tightly.

"What's done is done." Kris said, calmly.

Question looked between them, curious. He was for once out of the loop on this one. The group remained silent for the rest of the ride.

Several Hours Later- Daily Planet-

Clark breathed a sigh of relief, as he leaned back against his seat. He had just finished typing an article for the tomorrow's edition of the paper, and was just about to head to the Metro Tower to see how progress was going. Just as he was leaving, Clark felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Not so fast, Kent." Perry's voice boomed. "I've got an assignment for you."

Clark turned to see Perry now looking at Lois.

"You too, Lane." the editor-in-chief ordered. "Both of you, into my office."

He led the two ace reporters into his office and closed the door behind him. After the three of them took a seat, Perry filled them into what they were going to be doing.

"You want us to what?!" asked Clark.

"Some hotshot celebrity's going to propose tonight, you two will be covering it." explained Perry. "They don't mind the press covering it, but they want people who will be nothing but good and honest. Told them I'd send my best and most well-behaved reporters to cover it."

"But Perry, I-"

"No 'buts', Kent. You're to be there in one hour, so dress sharp and keep Lane on her leash."

Lois scowled at Perry, then turned it on Clark, who raised his hands defensively.

"Don't look at me." the Smallville reporter stated.

Lois and Clark exited the office and headed into the elevator together.

"I'll meet you at the restaurant, there's something I need to look into." Clark said, turning to Lois.

"Sounds good." agreed Lois.

They walked out of the building and Clark got into his car, watching as Lois got into her own vehicle. After watching her drive away, he activated his comlink.

"Batman, any progress?" he asked.

"None so far." replied Batman. "Dr. Corbett and I are looking for the Legion's headquarters, we figured that would be a good place to start. Question's taking another Peace Brigader to the swamps to search for the base from the skies."

"Can they do that?"

"Corbett says Sherlock's gifted with ocular powers. He's going to use all of his support visions to locate the Legion's place in case we can't track them. We'll let you know if either team finds anything."

"Got it. Thanks."

An Hour Later- Restaurant-

Lois and Clark arrived at the restaurant on time, and waited for the arrival of the celebrity and his date to show up. They had already ordered their food and drinks, and ten minutes later, the couple never arrived. Lois checked her watch for, figuratively speaking, the thousandth time already, and sighed in frustration.

"Where are these people?" she asked.

"Maybe the guy got cold feet." replied Clark. "Some people are afraid of commitment, some people are just shy, and there are some who-"

He stopped when he saw Lois' eyes go wide all of a sudden. She was staring at something behind Clark.

"Lois?" Clark called.

"I don't believe it." Lois spoke, shocked.

"What?"

Lois grabbed him by the sides of his face and jerked him around to look at the couple sitting behind him. To Clark's surprise, the couple sitting there at that table were Mercy and Rank. Mercy was dressed in a black sparkling dress with dark gray heels, and Rank was in a simple white shirt and dark blue tux with a lighter blue tie, and the two seemed to be laughing about something, which surprised both Clark and Lois because they've never seen Mercy laugh before. At least, not genuinely.

"Are you seeing this?" asked Lois. "Mercy and the new guy in town, on a date?"

"You don't know if it's a date." Clark pointed out.

He turned and saw a familiar look on his partner's face, and began having a bad feeling in his gut all of a sudden.

"Lois." he began, warningly.

"I'm not doing anything." responded Lois.

"That's your 'need to investigate' face."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Lois,-"

Lois was already up and heading over to the table. Clark facepalmed, and slunk into his seat a little.

"Me and my big mouth." he groaned.

Meanwhile, over where Mercy and Rank were sitting, the two had stopped laughing for a moment.

"She really did that?" asked Mercy.

"If you think that's funny, wait'll you hear how he spent the week as a gerbil." replied Rank. "He was mistakenly adopted as the class pet for a bunch of kindergarteners, and all the kids wanted to hug and pet him. There was one kid who went all Abominable Snowman on him, too. You know, the big guy from the Looney Tunes, who loved rabbits and wanted to name them 'George'."

The two started laughing again, and Mercy calmed down enough to take a drink from her water.

"I honestly have never laughed like that in a long time." she admitted. "It feels nice."

"If you want, I've got stories about Kris' other little mishaps that you might-" Rank started.

He stopped when he looked up to see Lois standing beside the table, and Mercy looked up at her also for a brief moment, before sinking back down into her own seat, taking another drink from her glass.

"Hitting on the hero?" asked Lois.

"Actually, Lois, it's not like that-" Rank defended his friend.

"I think I better explain." Mercy interrupted, setting her glass back down. "Rank and I were catching up, he's an old friend of mine."

Lois stared at her, taken aback, then she turned to Rank.

"Mercy is the friend you were talking about?" she asked, completely surprised.

Rank nodded, as if it were nothing special. Lois had to force herself not to ask the question she wanted to scream at that instant, but Mercy could see it in her eyes, and from her stunned expression.

"Yes, Lois, I have a friend." she spoke.

Lois immediately felt embarrassed, and backed down.

"S-Sorry." she stammered. "So, uh, when and how?"

"I spent most of my childhood in Metropolis." explained Rank. "From infanthood all the way up to my early teens."

"Get out."

"He was." said Mercy. "How else would I know him?"

"He went for a limo ride with you, remember?"

While the three talked, Clark watched them, then he paused and turned to the door, as if something else had his attention. People outside of the room were arguing, and then shouts of pain and surprise, and finally...laughter. Crazed laughter. Familiar crazed laughter.

"God, no." Clark groaned, quietly.

Meanwhile, over with Rank, he tensed up slightly, causing the girls to stare at him. They called out to him, but Rank didn't respond. He felt a dangerous presence nearby, and knew it was time for action. The collective guests' attention were now grabbed by the little marble-like object that bounced into the room. It went off with a massive explosion, creating a smokescreen into the room. Clark and Rank got out of their seats immediately, along with the others, as the laughter was now loud enough for all to hear.

"Is that who I think it is?" Lois asked, holding a napkin to her face to filter the smoke.

"There's only one psycho in the world with that laugh." responded Mercy.

Clark and Rank, having finally found one another, stood side by side.

"Be ready." Clark advised, quietly.

"Of course." nodded Rank.

They watched as a dark silhouette marched into the smokescreen, then finally the Joker, the green-haired, purple-clad, Clown Prince of Crime from Gotham City, emerged fully into view, a malicious grin on his face.

"Hello, Metropolis!" greeted Joker. "I'm back, and I brought friends!"

Behind him, the Toyman walked into the room, with Star Sapphire and Sinestro on either side of him.

"We have important news for all of you," announced Joker. "The Legion of Doom is together again, and we're better than ever!"

He let out another howl of laughter, as the audience gasped in shock. Clark, Lois, Mercy, and Rank could only gape at the four rogues in shock, as Joker's words echoed through their mind. If what he said was true, Lex Luthor and Grodd were back after all. But now that the message was delivered, what was going to happen next?

* * *

So, Rank's friend has finally been revealed, though I think I may have made it obvious without meaning to. Ah well, no plan is perfect, right? So, anyway, now Clark and Rank have to deal with four bad guys, and Lex Luthor and Grodd are semi-officially back. What next? You'll find out soon enough.

Also, I keep forgetting to do this. I don't own anything DC, not the characters, the cities, or the races. I own the story, and I own the Peace Brigade characters, and Evitru and the Aura Soldiers. Characters of mine include Rank Maverick/Crash Cobalt, Akasha, King Auron, Dr. Kris Corbett, Steve Duke/Airborne, J.C. Barclay/Astro, Brian/Sherlock, Gillian, and more soon to come.


	6. The New Rogue

Chapter Six: The New Rogue-

The guests inside the restaurant began fleeing from the restaurant as the four rogues began wrecking the place. Clark, Rank, Lois, and Mercy were among the group that remained trapped inside, and they backed against the glass windows. Joker calmly walked towards them, his gaze solely kept on the Daily Planet reporters.

"Well, well, aren't you a familiar face." he spoke, grinning at Lois.

Clark saw his friend gulp and tense up slightly behind him, and moved in front of her.

"Oh, think you can protect her, Clarkie?" taunted Joker. "Feel free to try."

He moved towards them, but then a steak knife was suddenly flung at him, causing Joker to sidestep quickly to avoid being hit. The blade embedded itself into the wall behind the villain, and all eyes fell on the one who threw it. Rank lowered his arm back to his side, his scowl still fixed on the purple clad clown, while Mercy looked up at him, alarmed.

"_What are you doing_?!" she hissed, her voice laced with outrage and fear.

Rank didn't respond, and just shot a look at Clark before stepping forward until he was in front of the crowd.

"Ooh, another guy wanting to play hero." observed Star Sapphire.

"What's your name, sonny boy?" asked Joker.

"Ranklin." replied Rank.

"'Ranklin', eh? Well, Rankie,..."

The Clown Prince of Crime then shifted his arm a little, causing a crowbar to slide down his sleeve into his hand, but the mechanic standing in front of him did not notice. Lois, however, did, as did the others.

"He's got a weapon!" she warned her friend.

Rank made to turn around to face her, just as Joker took the crowbar with both hands and swung it as hard as he could, bashing the mechanic across the face with it. Rank staggered to the side a little as blood began pouring out of the side of his mouth.

"Welcome to the Big Leagues." Joker finished in a low deadly tone.

Clark made to step forward to try and pull Rank back, but saw the look in his new friend's eyes, and stayed back. Rank calmly wiped the blood from his mouth, then clenched his right hand into a fist, his knuckles cracking nicely as it did so.

"My turn." he growled.

The mechanic smashed the Gotham villain in the face, knocking him off his feet and a few feet back. The crowd let out a "ooh" of surprise, while Clark, Lois, and Mercy simultaneously glanced at the fallen criminal, then slowly turn to look back at Rank.

"Has your friend always been this suicidal?" Lois asked, shifting her glance towards Mercy.

Mercy didn't answer, she was still stunned by her friend's insane action a moment ago. She herself knew you just don't mess with the Joker unless you had some sort of death wish. Lois was right to ask if Rank was suicidal, and she wondered the very same thing. Rank, on the other hand, was ready for the next round.

"Had enough, Clown Prince of Chumps?" he asked.

"Watch it, Rank." Clark warned him. "Don't get cocky."

Joker sat up, rubbing his sore chin, and smiled.

"You know, he's right, but I'll admit, kid, that was a nice punch." he complimented his foe. "But I've gotten worse blows from Batman's junior partner. You'll have to do better than that, boy."

"I can do that." responded Rank.

Mercy saw that the Joker was still smiling, and that sent chills up and down her spine. She quickly grabbed onto her friend's arm, and tried to pull him back.

"Back down, you idiot!" she whispered, urgently. "Now!"

Rank remained where he was, his glare never wavering. Joker then turned his attention to Toyman.

"Toyman, don't we have a special toy that we've been dying to show everyone?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, Joker, it's waiting just outside." replied Toyman. "Oh, Turbotron!"

"'Turbotron'?" Lois repeated.

As if on cue, a large robot that resembled a toy robot action figure marched into the room, whirring and sparking angrily. It's eyes lit up red as it glared down at the innocent people in the room.

"So, Mr. Mechanic, think you're still a big man now?" asked Joker.

"You're seriously asking me that with that in the room?" Rank pointed out, nodding at the robot.

Joker's grin then turned into a malicious glare.

"We'll see how tough you talk when you're crushed like a little cockroach!" he snarled. "Kill them all, but start with that wretched grease monkey!"

The toy robot grunted and grabbed Rank in both of it's hands lifting him up over it's head, then tossed him through the wall. Rank gave a yell of pain, as he crashed through, then crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. The remaining guests began to panic even more as they tried to flee out of the restaurant, but Mercy tried to make her way to the fallen mechanic. Joker saw this and raced towards her, grabbing her arm and wrenching it behind her back painfully.

"Relax, sweetheart, monkey boy isn't going anywhere." he said, before pushing her to the ground. "Now, let's talk business,-"

Mercy ignored him and quickly leapt up to her feet as the Clown Prince talked. She lashed out at him with a fist, connecting with his nose, and making an unpleasant cracking sound in the process. Joker howled in pain for a moment, and covered his face with both of his hands, as blood poured down his face. Mercy prepared to strike again, but Joker suddenly lunged at her and grabbed her shoulder. The female CEO felt a surge of electricity course through her body, and screamed in pain once before sinking to her knees, weakened. Joker grinned at her, holding up the hand he had grabbed her shoulder with, revealing a joybuzzer attached to it.

"Bad, bad lap dog." he scolded. "I thought Lex trained you better than that."

Outside of the room, Lois was searching for Clark, who had vanished suddenly.

"Clark?!" Lois called, looking around the hallway. "Clark!"

She made to walk forward down the hall, until she felt herself suddenly being lifted up into the air by a platform. The platform then changed into a transparent yellow bubble that encased her within.

"Hey, what's the big deal?!" Lois demanded, as she tried to break out of the bubble.

Her question was answered when Sinestro walked forward, his Yellow Lantern ring glowing.

"One bait for Superman, check." he answered, smiling.

* * *

While the four Legion members were causing chaos in the dining area, Clark was downstairs, sneaking into the kitchen with Rank, who was nursing the fresh bruise on his head from when he was knocked into the wall by the robot. Rank pulled back the sleeve on his watch and pressed a button on the side of it.

"Gadget, I need a power outage of the whole building where my coordinates are, and I want it yesterday." he spoke, quickly. "Akasha, be ready to open a portal, and we need you guys over here."

"Roger that, captain." Gadget's voice replied from the device, immediately. "One blackout in progress."

"Are they at your base?" asked Clark. "If so, can you tell Batman that his comedian friend is here?"

"Message received." Batman's voice replied over the wristcom. "I'll be right there."

The wristcom clicked off, and Clark looked at the man beside him.

"How good are Gadget and Akasha?" he asked.

"You'll find out." replied Rank. "Now let's hurry."

* * *

Joker, Toyman, Sinestro, and Star Sapphire waited in the dining room for the good guys to show up, with their robot standing by them with its arms pinning both Lois and Mercy to its chest.

"So, when is he going to show up again?" asked Joker.

"Give him time." replied Star Sapphire. "He'll make an appearance."

Lois and Mercy looked at each other confused. Were they expecting Superman to show up? The Justice League hardly ever failed at showing up when they were needed. Then, the group's attention was suddenly grabbed when the lights went out, and the room went nearly pitch black.

"Is that him?" Sinestro asked, jumping out of his seat.

"Either him or Batman." replied Toyman.

Star Sapphire looked around the room, her guard not lowering one bit, until she felt a hand reach out and grab her shoulder. Startled, she let out a scream, and whirled around to blast whoever touched her. Unfortunately, she had hit Sinestro, who was struck in the face by one of her blasts, and fell on his back.

"Watch where you're blasting!" the Yellow Lantern snarled.

"Then who grabbed my shoulder?" asked Star Sapphire.

A finger tapped her on the shoulder and the Zamaron slowly turned around to meet a hooded figure standing behind her.

"Ooga booga booga!" the figure shouted, its voice feminine.

Star Sapphire was then delivered a punch to the face that sent her sailing on the floor a few feet back.

"Who's there?!" demanded Sinestro.

"Name's Akasha." replied the stranger. "And I believe you've met my friend right behind your friend in the purple suit over there."

Joker turned around to see a familiar pointed-eared figure towering over behind him, and stepped back quickly.

"Batman!" he exclaimed.

"And I brought friends." announced Batman.

Behind him stood Superman, Crash Cobalt, and Gadget, all ready to battle.

"Three men, a shadow user, and a child." commented Sinestro.

"Five on five, an even match." declared Superman.

Sinestro aimed his ring at the four heroes by the exit and fired, while Star Sapphire started firing light purple blasts from her mask.

"Move!" shouted Batman.

Gadget dived to the right while Superman and Crash flew into the air, and Batman darted to the left. Joker took out his gun and prepared to fire at his arch-enemy, only to see that Batman had disappeared.

"What?!" he yelped.

Joker looked from side to side, and all around, until he saw Batman behind him. The Clown Prince let out a frightened yelp, and fell backwards on his butt.

"How did you do that?!" he demanded.

"One Shadowmancer, plus one Dark Knight, equals one awesome combination." Akasha explained, walking up beside her teammate.

Joker growled at them, and went to take out his gun from his jacket, but the moment he looked back up to shoot at them, Batman and Akasha had disappeared again.

"Where did you go now?!" the Clown Prince demanded, annoyed.

As Joker battled against Batman and Akasha, Sinestro was battling Crash Cobalt on the other side of the room. The evil Yellow Lantern fired multiple energy bullets at Crash Cobalt, who dodged each blast as fast as he could.

"Okay, time to fight fire with fire!" shouted Crash.

He thrusted his hands out in front of him, causing Sinestro to stop blasting him.

"Ghostwalker!" the Aura Knight called.

A flash of pale blue light formed between his hands, which then began to grow in length until it created a bardiche-like weapon. The light faded, and Crash gripped his new weapon with both hands, then twirling it over his head, then from side to side, and then held it steady in front of him.

"Neat trick, junior," Sinestro taunted, holding up the ring-equipped fist. "But that won't save you."

"This isn't an ordinary weapon, Sinestro." Crash explained, smiling. "Ghostwalker is a very special bardiche."

Sinestro frowned, and began to fire yellow bullet-like blasts at his enemy. Crash responded to this attack by holding his bardiche like a bayonet, with the top of the polearm pointed at Sinestro, then fired several blue bullet-like aura blasts back at him. The energy attacks collided and cancelled each other out, but Sinestro didn't give in.

"You can't keep this up forever!" he shouted.

"I can do this in my sleep, old man!" Crash shot back.

As the two side fought, Gadget was trying to deactivate the robot holding Lois and Mercy hostage.

"Hey, aren't you a little young for this hero business?" asked Lois.

"Yes. Yes, I am. I get that all the time." Gadget replied, calmly. "Okay, just need to press this button, and the robot should let you go."

She pressed the button on the remote, and suddenly a green laser shot out of the robot's eyes, blasting the wall behind the tech wiz to pieces.

"And the button to do what that just did...?" Mercy asked, concerned.

Gadget pressed another button on the remote, and the robot spun on it's heel, and kicked Joker in the seat of his pants. Joker slowly turned to glare at Gadget, who looked at him.

"Sorry!" the young heroine called, sincerely.

Lois and Mercy looked at each other, worried.

"Our fates are in the hands of a techie who has no clue what she is doing." the former declared.

"Lois, it was nice knowing you." Mercy told her. "I've always thought of you as a good rival."

"Right back at ya."

The two women watched as Gadget pressed another button, causing the robot to suddenly throw them to the side. Lois and Mercy sat up, groaning in pain, and looked at the younger hero.

"Thanks, I think!" the Daily Planet reporter shouted.

Gadget flashed her and Mercy a thumbs-up, then saw Toyman approaching her with a weapon that looked like a toy machine gun. Gadget raised an eyebrow at him, and took out a small handheld laser gun, then fired a dart at him. The dart entangled Toyman in a series of wires, which began to electrocute him, causing him to pass out onto the ground. While this was happening, Superman was blocking energy attacks from Star Sapphire. He finally powered through them, and knocked her into a wall behind her, stunning her.

"Is that all that you've got?" asked the Kryptonian.

Below him, the Joker aimed his gun up at him, aiming to shoot, but Batman had flung a batarang at him and knocked the gun out of his grip, then threw a net over his head, wrapping him up in it. In the air, Crash and Sinestro's fight continued, and finally, Crash's barrage had broken through, knocking the Yellow Lantern to the floor, unconscious. The heroes gathered once again in front of the four villains and the fallen robot.

"The police should be here by now." said Superman. "Let's hand them over to them, then interrogate them ourselves later."

As he spoke, Batman noticed that Crash had tensed up. The Aura Knight's face was fixed in a scowl for a long moment, then his eyes widened.

"He's here." he gasped.

Crash, Superman, Batman, Gadget, Akasha, Lois, and Mercy turned to the window behind the heroes, and saw a man dressed in red and black armor, similar to Crash's uniform, but instead of a bardiche, this man had a scythe. The newcomer's face was shrouded by shadows, with his hood covering his head.

"Who's he?" asked Lois.

"Bad news." replied Akasha.

The new man raised one hand towards the two civilians in the room, and fired a red aura blast at them.

"No!"

* * *

Sorry for the late update, guys. I'll try to update again sooner than before.

I don't own anything DC, not the characters, the cities, or the races. I own the story, and I own the Peace Brigade characters, and Evitru and the Aura Soldiers. Characters of mine include Rank Maverick/Crash Cobalt, Akasha, King Auron, Dr. Kris Corbett, Steve Duke/Airborne, J.C. Barclay/Astro, Brian/Sherlock, Gillian, and more soon to come.


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